Here's the problem: Both Medicaid and the VA negotiate for lower drug prices on some medicines. You can't compare the two final prices, because both Ohio law and federal law consider the extra discounts confidential to protect the contract negotiations.

And it's not clear that the VA would share its prices with Ohio even if voters passed a law requiring the state to duplicate those VA prices. That means it's impossible for any of us to say for sure how much money Ohio might save – if any – if it adopts the VA price.

You might have seen some ads citing a number anyway. Proponents say Issue 2 would save Ohio between $164 million and $536 million per year. Opponents say that doesn't account for the discounts the state already receives.

What else should you know about Issue 2? Here are some frequently asked questions.

About 4 million Ohioans receive some sort of state-paid health care benefit, which means about 7 million of us don't. If you're one of the 7 million, the ballot issue has no direct effect on your drug prices.

Founder Michael Weinstein told reporters that he wants to fight drug companies much like the biblical David triumphed over Goliath. A win in Ohio, a key Midwest state, could spur on efforts elsewhere, he said.

“We’re taking the first step to actually bring prices down for everyone else, and they (the drug companies) know that,” said Matt Borges, a former Ohio GOP chairman who is working for backers of Issue 2.

Drug companies spent more than $100 million to defeat the California effort in 2016.

Could Issue 2 actually raise drug prices?

Drug companies and their allies say if they lose money from Medicaid patients, they might offset those losses elsewhere. In other words, they might raise drug prices paid by people with private insurance.